boyutpedia Chapter 208 Taking care of both heads
Chapter 208 Taking care of both heads
When Shang Yibo entered the private room of the hotel's Chinese restaurant, Fang Xichen was already sitting there elegantly, flipping through an exquisite menu. Sunlight streamed through the half-open curtains, adding to her gentle and graceful demeanor.
Seeing Shang Yibo walk in, Fang Xichen smiled slightly and put down the menu in her hand. "I'm going to order some food. What would you like to eat?" Her voice was gentle and kind, as if it could instantly dispel the fatigue in Shang Yibo's heart.
Shang Yibo walked to the table and sat down, casually flipping through the menu. "Mom, you order. I'm fine with anything."
Fang Xichen smiled and said, "Okay, I'll order a few dishes according to my own taste. I hope you like them too."
After saying that, she began to order food skillfully, occasionally asking Shang Yibo for his opinion. Throughout the process, the mother and son talked in a relaxed and pleasant manner, as if all their worries had been temporarily left behind.
After the waiter left, Fang Xichen changed the subject, "Yibo, filming is important in Huizhou this time, but you also need to take care of your health. The weather in the south is damp and cold in winter, and you will definitely not be used to it. Don't forget to bring more clothes. Don't worry about things at home, I'll take care of them."
"This trip will probably last two months. I've already turned down all the year-end events, so I probably won't be coming back in the middle."
"Yes, I understand. Your injury has delayed us for almost two weeks. We need to catch up on the filming schedule, so you have to cooperate well and not make things difficult for the crew."
"understood."
As the mother and son were talking, Chu Fanqing pushed open the door and walked into the private room.
"What are you chatting about, so enthusiastically? Have you ordered yet? I have a meeting this afternoon," Chu Fanqing asked as soon as she sat down.
Fang Xichen smiled and replied, "How could I not be happy chatting with my son? I've already ordered the food, it should be here soon. You should take a nap this afternoon, you only got home in the early hours of the morning and rushed back to the company for a meeting, you haven't had much rest."
Chu Fanqing took a sip of tea, then turned to Shang Yibo and asked, "You've been back at the company lately. How are things? After learning about the current situation, what are your thoughts?"
"Can we not talk about work while we're eating?" Fang Xichen's tone was slightly reproachful, but her expression was full of doting affection.
Shang Yibo lowered his head and remained silent. Seeing his father's slightly tired appearance today, an indescribable feeling welled up in his heart. He suddenly sensed the aura of a hero in his twilight years, which filled him with mixed emotions.
From childhood, he had always admired his father and aspired to be like him. However, his father, not yet fifty, already had graying temples, and his tall and imposing figure appeared somewhat hunched. The crisis the company had faced over the past year had placed immense pressure on his father.
Chu Fanqing sighed: "If we don't say it now, we might not see each other again in the future. You're leaving again tomorrow, and it would be good if you could come back by the end of the year."
Shang Yibo honestly replied, "I won't be able to come back at the end of the year either. I'll have to see if I can get a holiday on New Year's Eve."
Chu Fanqing shook his head helplessly: "See, this isn't what I said."
Fang Xichen interjected with a smile, "You two, father and son, are both so busy. It's rare for you to get together, so just chat as you like. I'm not going to interfere anymore."
Chu Fanqing took a sip of tea, cleared her throat, and turned her gaze to Shang Yibo, "Although you've been spending the last two years in the entertainment industry, it seems you've been learning all along and haven't wasted your time."
Seeing her husband's tone shift and the imminent admonition, Fang Xichen quickly stepped in to smooth things over, smiling broadly as she said, "Old Chu, don't say that. Your son is much more famous than you are now. How can you say he's just wasting his life? He's a hot star now. I'm so proud of our Yibo. Several of the ladies in our wives' group are his loyal fans."
Hearing his mother's lavish praise, Shang Yibo felt a little embarrassed, but secretly pleased. He muttered, "Mom, you can't compare like that."
Chu Fanqing looked at his son with secret satisfaction, but his face remained stern. He put down his teacup and said seriously, "Yibo, I think it would be better for you to come back to work. The company is going through a lot right now, and I don't have anyone else I can use. I see that you have some ideas about the company's operations and a keen eye for investment. Don't waste your talent."
"I don't want to leave the entertainment industry yet. My contract isn't finished, and I want to be an actor." Shang Yibo organized his thoughts and added, "Also, there are things I haven't finished doing."
"Aren't you acting? What else is acting but being an actor?" Chu Fanqing asked, puzzled.
Fang Xichen seemed to understand a bit better than Chu Fanqing. "Yibo is a star now. He said that an actor has to win an acting award or something to be considered an actor, right, Yibo?"
Shang Yibo said with a smile, "My mom knows me best. That's right, you have to win an award to be considered an actor."
Unexpectedly, Chu Fanqing said very seriously, "Oh, is that so? When will you win the award? Do you need my help?"
Shang Yibo suppressed a laugh, "Ah? Um, no need for help. I'll do it as soon as possible, as soon as possible."
"Seriously, don't put pressure on Yibo. You didn't set up the award. Do you think you can just get it whenever you want? You make it sound so easy."
Shang Yibo was left speechless, both amused and exasperated by his parents' antics.
Ignoring Fang Xichen, Chu Fanqing continued, following his own train of thought: "It's only right to see things through to the end. Besides, the contract isn't just your responsibility; everyone needs to be accountable. Having a sense of contractual obligation is something I do, and of course I support that."
Fang Xichen looked proud upon hearing this and poured tea for Chu Fanqing with a smile, "It's rare for your dad to praise you, but actually, he's just subtly praising himself."
Shang Yibo said, "I understand." But Chu Fanqing added, "However, I hope you can get up to speed with company matters as soon as possible. Can you manage both at the same time?"
Before Shang Yibo could respond, he added, "You seem to have some good ideas for the project at Chao Phraya Lake. Why don't you take charge of it?"
Seeing the unusually harmonious atmosphere at the table, Fang Xichen felt very gratified. "Yibo is young, so he definitely has no problem balancing his acting career and company affairs. Don't be too impatient. You need to prioritize one over the other and maintain a good balance so that they don't interfere with each other. Otherwise, you might end up doing neither well, which would be a loss."
"Mom, don't worry, I know what to do."
Chu Fanqing and Fang Xichen exchanged a glance. They both understood that Shang Yibo's words meant that the brat had agreed.
Just then, the waiter knocked and came in to serve the dishes. An enticing aroma filled the table. Fang Xichen served food to Chu Fanqing and then to Shang Yibo; the three of them were all very happy and content.
Shang Yibo's phone vibrated on the table. He glanced at it with his lowered eyelids. It was a WeChat message. He figured it must have been from Zhou Yanruo. So, while putting some food into his mouth, he casually opened WeChat.
The WeChat message was from Jian Zheng: "Want to get together tonight?"
Shang Yibo picked up his phone to reply to a message, and when he looked up, he saw Fang Xichen sitting next to him, his gaze inadvertently glancing at his phone.